Preface
This is a balanced team that I built in the post-Tyrantrum suspect era and after Venusaur dropped, made to abuse the combination of Flame Orb Sigilyph (a mon that I considered extremely oppressive to balance/stall teams at the time) and Calm Mind Slowking. It was used during the Sharpedo/Abomasnow suspect to get at least 3 users reqs: myself, Laxuy, and Ice Tea, among others. While this team has not yet had any tournament representation, I would feel comfortable bringing it into a competitive setting.
The only change from the Sharpedo-Abomasnow metagame to now is that I use (on the main team, not taking into account any tech choice changes) Aromatherapy on Aromatisse over Hidden Power Fire.
Despite this team using none of Sharpedo, Mega Abomasnow, or Durant, I find that it is most likely somewhat weaker than it was now than when it was created so I intend not to use it as my main team anymore. The team was built taking advantage of metagame trends of the time such as the popularity of Bronzong and the use of garbage Durant checks such as Poliwrath. As such I am posting this primarily to display the team as a showcase of metagame progression, although I will still appreciate any given input.
I do not hide speed creep. All spreads displayed are spreads that I would actually use.
Teambuilding Process
The team showcased here is the fourth and final draft. Note that there were hardly any tweaks to the drafts in between; I generally rebuilt from scratch once I noticed some awful weakness. The plan was always to build around Flame Orb Sigilyph and Calm Mind Slowking, but the other four members (and the overall team goal) shifted notably over time. The initial incarnation used bulky hard hitting tanks to shore up the matchup against offense; the final incarnation is significantly faster and more offensive.
This team makes use of many of my individual building quirks: offensive mons that have early/mid-game utility but can still have their health preserved, a preference for bulkiness over raw power or speed on offensive mons, and a reliance on a strong defensive core, rather than VoltTurn, to support the team’s offensive core.
General Playstyle
The metagame in general leans greatly towards offense, allowing the team (with three self-sustaining members including a Wish passer) to generally be able to play for a long term victory in most matches. At the same time, with three boosting sweepers the team has sufficient tools to dispose of most stall.
Sigilyph and Drapion are usually the two most important members in the early game and their unique qualities force savvy opponents to often make difficult decisions. Sigilyph gets endless free turns on passive defensive mons (while at the same time being threatening every single turn and forcing action due to the threat of Calm Mind) and Drapion can often trap obstacles towards a Sigilyph or Virizion sweep.
Due to the team’s lack of pivot moves, Sigilyph and Drapion often require double switches to use to their full potential. Coupled with the fact that the team has multifaceted paths towards victory, if you are a complete beginner to the metagame, I suggest you read the entire analysis before you try to use the team.
Importable for detail-oriented thinkers
In-Depth
Sigilyph - Flame Orb
Timid | Magic Guard
252 HP | 4 SpA | 252 Spe
iv: 0 Atk
If Sigilyph gets in safely while burned, it can easily 1v1 Diancie, Mega Steelix, or even Rhyperior; Black Glasses Spiritomb can’t switch into Sigilyph and beat it either, and even 252 HP Mega Camerupt loses if it switches in on Calm Mind. Thus most teams’ best response to Sigilyph is a wallbreaker that doesn’t initially care about burns, such as Houndoom, Fletchinder, or Specs Meloetta. All are fairly easy to wear down, and in particular, Specs Meloetta and Slowking can be checkmated by Drapion.
Sigilyph is versatile enough to either act as the team’s endgame win condition or simply be a means to an end. Spreading burns and beating every cleric 1v1, it excels at wearing down teams over time.
When battling I generally always lead Sigilyph against Qwilfish teams, using Calm Mind in the absence of a dark type. Sigilyph actually doesn’t even 2HKO Qwilfish, but generally the threat of a Life Orb Psychic is enough to force it out.
Slowking - Leftovers
Bold | Regenerator
252 HP | 252 Def | 4 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
Slowking is Sigilyph’s partner in crime as well as a defensive lynchpin, walling a wide variety of threats: offensive Flygon, Aerodactyl, Fletchinder, Mega Steelix, Medicham, Diancie, and Rhyperior, to name a few. Its bulk combined with Regenerator and Slack Off make it incredibly easy to maintain at high health, and it is also the most offensively threatening bulky water in the metagame.
Slowking is the one member of the team who freely invited Sharpedo and Abomasnow in. I still found it integral to this particular build, though, and in most cases, this team could easily outlast the former two threats if they switched in more than once. Burns tended to neuter either of them.
In addition to checking various threats (especially prominent Sigilyph answers), if Slowking manages to freely boost against slower teams then it is exceptionally difficult to check offensively, handily beating Venusaur, Virizion, Exploud, and LO Sigilyph 1v1. A boosting Slowking is typically checked by a bulky Toxic user such as Bronzong or Alomomola, many of which are helpless against Sigilyph. Note that Slowking, when burned, can actually sweep past Alomomola, and purposely getting it burned is a useful trick against Fletchinder + Alomomola teams.
Slowking is a guaranteed scarf Tyrantrum, Aerodactyl, and Fletchinder answer, so it can be important to preserve against those threats even though this team has Mega Steelix. The team is in particular weak to Fletchinder otherwise. Slowking also typically does not die to a single Pursuit and heavily threatens every Pursuit user so it can be played aggressively.
Aromatisse - Leftovers
Relaxed | Aroma Veil
252 HP | 240 Def | 16 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk | 0 Spe
Aromatisse has fallen out of favor due to the omnipresence of Mega Steelix and more recently Venusaur, but its ability to repeatedly switch into Sharpedo, Hitmonlee, Virizion, Gurdurr, Sneasel, and some Absol in a single package makes it the best choice for this slot. In addition, its worst nemesis, Roar Steelix, grows increasingly unpopular – the threat of Aromatisse consistently being blocked from healing itself is mostly gone.
The previous use of Hidden Power Fire (and thus absence of Aromatherapy) may be surprising as Aromatisse has conventionally only been known to use one moveset. I personally felt that the metagame, at the time, had sped up to the point that Aromatisse scant got the chance to use it, and it would also interfere with Sigilyph. I don’t deny its use, but I simply valued the insurance against Durant, Mega Abomasnow, and Escavalier as more important. Hidden Power Rock is singularly helpful as a tech against Fletchinder + Pursuit teams as the team otherwise relies heavily on Slowking to check Fletch.
Aromatisse was/is generally the most expendable member of the team, which incidentally generally means it is the first member to throw into the fire against (Mega) Abomasnow. Note that Wish + Protect also allows it to stall out hail turns, after which Abomasnow becomes significantly more manageable. If it is needed specifically to check a wallbreaker then obviously preserving its health is important; Drapion and then Steelix generally get priority for Wishes afterwards.
The Defense investment hits a jump point, and minimum speed is used for the rare Trick Room matchup. Aromatisse is a mon which I strongly feel should never creep, being naturally shy of base 30 and losing to every relevant slow mon 1v1.
Drapion - Choice Band
Adamant | Sniper
236 HP | 216 Atk | 56 Spe
Drapion offers an incredible amount of utility for an offensive mon. It can consistently pressure Bronzong enough to prevent early game rocks, Pursuit trap various problematic mons (particularly Sigilyph, Hoopa, and Meloetta), act as a primary switchin to Venusaur and offensive Tangrowth, and absorb Toxic Spikes. Drapion heavily capitalized on the popularity of Bronzong at the time of the team's inception, as Bronzong not only presented an exploitable Steel-type but also competed directly with Mega Steelix on most teams.
The sheer utility of a hard-hitting Knock Off helps greatly to wear down many teams and thus Drapion should typically be used early game. Not all teams are so threatened, of course, defensive Flygon being, although not really a threat to the team overall, a 100% switchin to the set and Mega Steelix serving as an ubiquitous and much more significant obstacle. Steelix is by no means unmanageable for the team, but it does force Drapion into a more secondary role rather than an early game beater.
Particularly hilarious displays of its unexpected power include its ability to always OHKO Mild Mega Abomasnow and SpD Bronzong (<= 252 HP / 68 Def). As such I generally led Drapion against Mega Abomasnow teams, though I of course would not do so against Abomasnow + Mega Steelix teams.
I prefer a bulky Drapion to best handle opposing Sigilyph and most early game offensive threats, with just a bit of Speed investment for neutral Hoopa (and by extension neutral Samurott and Exploud) – a faster spread is obviously an option.
Drapion leads against Accelgor builds as this team lacks hazard removal and Poison Jab has a 30% chance to prevent a second layer of Spikes, outright OHKOing Life Orb variants.
Virizion – Leftovers
Jolly | Justified
4 HP | 252 Atk | 252 Spe
Virizion is the most splashable offensive threat in the metagame. It offers an easy win condition, immediately threatens Water types, punishes Dark spam, punishes scarf Tyrantrum Head Smash, can revenge kill many threats due to its speed, and tends to be fairly easy to preserve throughout the game due to its Rock resistance and bulk. There are very few mons that can feel safe switching into Virizion prior to scouting its coverage and all of them are complete Sigilyph bait. Thus, though Virizion was added to the team as an afterthought to shore up the matchup against Waters, it has come through and become the most valuable team member in many matches.
I eschew the standard Lum Berry because I usually rely chiefly on Sigilyph as my Scald absorber from weak mons such as Alomomola, Gastrodon, and Knock Off Seismitoad, and because Drapion rather than Virizion is the team’s primary answer to Slowking and Jellicent. I can generally expect Virizion to stay in for several turns throughout the match to get value from Leftovers, and in particular I have found it to be useful against teams that rely on a Fairy for Virizion; Leftovers can push opposing Aromatisse’s Moonblast into a 3HKO, for instance. Note that I did not use Lum Berry in the previous metas either, even when I did not use Aromatherapy Aromatisse.
Stone Edge in the fourth moveslot is mostly useful for Sigilyph and for threatening Fletchinder, but Zen Headbutt and Synthesis are both viable options (Synthesis is generally considered unviable, but this team plays much more slowly than a typical Virizion team). Yache is another alternative item, allowing Virizion to sweep past Sneasel, Glalie, and Abomasnow.
Steelix – Steelixite
Adamant | Sturdy > Sand Force
236 HP | 96 Atk | 176 Spe
I have thought Mega Steelix to be the best overall Pokemon in the metagame for a while, and it doesn’t disappoint on this team as a consistent rocks setter and overall tank. Steelix offers value at every phase of the game -- in fact, I tend not to lead with Steelix, whereas most builds tend to use it as an early game beater and hazard setter. Don’t underestimate the value of preserving Steelix’s health until late game, even (which is hopefully not too far-fetched with Aromatisse support) – it can checkmate many physical attackers. In particular, it needed to have its health preserved against Durant.
I opt for a fast, offensive spread because CM Slowking and Drapion already insure the team against Psychics. This particular Steelix outspeeds all uninvested 50s and below, most Druddigon, max Speed Mega Camerupt and swathes of slow mons such as Togetic, Slowking, and virtually all Steelix -- the Steelix 1v1 in particular something I rest easy knowing I always win. Among calcs not listed on its on-site analysis, 96 Adamant does ensure the OHKO against 0/0 Drapion and in the past, Mild Mega Abomasnow (needing no prior damage on either).
For my personal playstyle, I have found that Toxic is almost assuredly the best choice in the fourth slot, with Steelix often drawing in bulky Waters and Hitmontop. I have found comparatively few applications for Roar, as I nearly always prefer to use a different move on predicted switches and simply do not deem Aromatisse / Nasty Plot Togetic to be big enough threats (though perhaps I may have used Roar during the Durant suspect test had I laddered for it, as from what I saw, SubPass Durant was becoming increasingly popular). That said, I encourage all users to feel free to experiment and see what works for them.
Threats
Replays
fin.
This is a balanced team that I built in the post-Tyrantrum suspect era and after Venusaur dropped, made to abuse the combination of Flame Orb Sigilyph (a mon that I considered extremely oppressive to balance/stall teams at the time) and Calm Mind Slowking. It was used during the Sharpedo/Abomasnow suspect to get at least 3 users reqs: myself, Laxuy, and Ice Tea, among others. While this team has not yet had any tournament representation, I would feel comfortable bringing it into a competitive setting.
The only change from the Sharpedo-Abomasnow metagame to now is that I use (on the main team, not taking into account any tech choice changes) Aromatherapy on Aromatisse over Hidden Power Fire.
Despite this team using none of Sharpedo, Mega Abomasnow, or Durant, I find that it is most likely somewhat weaker than it was now than when it was created so I intend not to use it as my main team anymore. The team was built taking advantage of metagame trends of the time such as the popularity of Bronzong and the use of garbage Durant checks such as Poliwrath. As such I am posting this primarily to display the team as a showcase of metagame progression, although I will still appreciate any given input.
I do not hide speed creep. All spreads displayed are spreads that I would actually use.
Teambuilding Process
The team showcased here is the fourth and final draft. Note that there were hardly any tweaks to the drafts in between; I generally rebuilt from scratch once I noticed some awful weakness. The plan was always to build around Flame Orb Sigilyph and Calm Mind Slowking, but the other four members (and the overall team goal) shifted notably over time. The initial incarnation used bulky hard hitting tanks to shore up the matchup against offense; the final incarnation is significantly faster and more offensive.
This team makes use of many of my individual building quirks: offensive mons that have early/mid-game utility but can still have their health preserved, a preference for bulkiness over raw power or speed on offensive mons, and a reliance on a strong defensive core, rather than VoltTurn, to support the team’s offensive core.
General Playstyle
The metagame in general leans greatly towards offense, allowing the team (with three self-sustaining members including a Wish passer) to generally be able to play for a long term victory in most matches. At the same time, with three boosting sweepers the team has sufficient tools to dispose of most stall.
Sigilyph and Drapion are usually the two most important members in the early game and their unique qualities force savvy opponents to often make difficult decisions. Sigilyph gets endless free turns on passive defensive mons (while at the same time being threatening every single turn and forcing action due to the threat of Calm Mind) and Drapion can often trap obstacles towards a Sigilyph or Virizion sweep.
Due to the team’s lack of pivot moves, Sigilyph and Drapion often require double switches to use to their full potential. Coupled with the fact that the team has multifaceted paths towards victory, if you are a complete beginner to the metagame, I suggest you read the entire analysis before you try to use the team.
Importable for detail-oriented thinkers
Sigilyph @ Flame Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psycho Shift
- Calm Mind
- Air Slash
- Roost
Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Slack Off
- Calm Mind
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
Drapion @ Choice Band
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 236 HP / 216 Atk / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
Virizion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- Stone Edge
Steelix @ Steelixite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 236 HP / 96 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Toxic
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psycho Shift
- Calm Mind
- Air Slash
- Roost
Slowking @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Slack Off
- Calm Mind
Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy
Drapion @ Choice Band
Ability: Sniper
EVs: 236 HP / 216 Atk / 56 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
Virizion @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- Stone Edge
Steelix @ Steelixite
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 236 HP / 96 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Toxic
Sigilyph - Flame Orb
Timid | Magic Guard
252 HP | 4 SpA | 252 Spe
iv: 0 Atk
- Psycho Shift
- Calm Mind
- Air Slash
- Roost
If Sigilyph gets in safely while burned, it can easily 1v1 Diancie, Mega Steelix, or even Rhyperior; Black Glasses Spiritomb can’t switch into Sigilyph and beat it either, and even 252 HP Mega Camerupt loses if it switches in on Calm Mind. Thus most teams’ best response to Sigilyph is a wallbreaker that doesn’t initially care about burns, such as Houndoom, Fletchinder, or Specs Meloetta. All are fairly easy to wear down, and in particular, Specs Meloetta and Slowking can be checkmated by Drapion.
Sigilyph is versatile enough to either act as the team’s endgame win condition or simply be a means to an end. Spreading burns and beating every cleric 1v1, it excels at wearing down teams over time.
When battling I generally always lead Sigilyph against Qwilfish teams, using Calm Mind in the absence of a dark type. Sigilyph actually doesn’t even 2HKO Qwilfish, but generally the threat of a Life Orb Psychic is enough to force it out.
Slowking - Leftovers
Bold | Regenerator
252 HP | 252 Def | 4 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Slack Off
- Calm Mind
Slowking is Sigilyph’s partner in crime as well as a defensive lynchpin, walling a wide variety of threats: offensive Flygon, Aerodactyl, Fletchinder, Mega Steelix, Medicham, Diancie, and Rhyperior, to name a few. Its bulk combined with Regenerator and Slack Off make it incredibly easy to maintain at high health, and it is also the most offensively threatening bulky water in the metagame.
Slowking is the one member of the team who freely invited Sharpedo and Abomasnow in. I still found it integral to this particular build, though, and in most cases, this team could easily outlast the former two threats if they switched in more than once. Burns tended to neuter either of them.
In addition to checking various threats (especially prominent Sigilyph answers), if Slowking manages to freely boost against slower teams then it is exceptionally difficult to check offensively, handily beating Venusaur, Virizion, Exploud, and LO Sigilyph 1v1. A boosting Slowking is typically checked by a bulky Toxic user such as Bronzong or Alomomola, many of which are helpless against Sigilyph. Note that Slowking, when burned, can actually sweep past Alomomola, and purposely getting it burned is a useful trick against Fletchinder + Alomomola teams.
Slowking is a guaranteed scarf Tyrantrum, Aerodactyl, and Fletchinder answer, so it can be important to preserve against those threats even though this team has Mega Steelix. The team is in particular weak to Fletchinder otherwise. Slowking also typically does not die to a single Pursuit and heavily threatens every Pursuit user so it can be played aggressively.
Aromatisse - Leftovers
Relaxed | Aroma Veil
252 HP | 240 Def | 16 SpD
ivs: 0 Atk | 0 Spe
- Wish
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Aromatherapy (Hidden Power Fire prior to Durant’s ban)
Aromatisse has fallen out of favor due to the omnipresence of Mega Steelix and more recently Venusaur, but its ability to repeatedly switch into Sharpedo, Hitmonlee, Virizion, Gurdurr, Sneasel, and some Absol in a single package makes it the best choice for this slot. In addition, its worst nemesis, Roar Steelix, grows increasingly unpopular – the threat of Aromatisse consistently being blocked from healing itself is mostly gone.
The previous use of Hidden Power Fire (and thus absence of Aromatherapy) may be surprising as Aromatisse has conventionally only been known to use one moveset. I personally felt that the metagame, at the time, had sped up to the point that Aromatisse scant got the chance to use it, and it would also interfere with Sigilyph. I don’t deny its use, but I simply valued the insurance against Durant, Mega Abomasnow, and Escavalier as more important. Hidden Power Rock is singularly helpful as a tech against Fletchinder + Pursuit teams as the team otherwise relies heavily on Slowking to check Fletch.
Aromatisse was/is generally the most expendable member of the team, which incidentally generally means it is the first member to throw into the fire against (Mega) Abomasnow. Note that Wish + Protect also allows it to stall out hail turns, after which Abomasnow becomes significantly more manageable. If it is needed specifically to check a wallbreaker then obviously preserving its health is important; Drapion and then Steelix generally get priority for Wishes afterwards.
The Defense investment hits a jump point, and minimum speed is used for the rare Trick Room matchup. Aromatisse is a mon which I strongly feel should never creep, being naturally shy of base 30 and losing to every relevant slow mon 1v1.
Drapion - Choice Band
Adamant | Sniper
236 HP | 216 Atk | 56 Spe
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Pursuit
- Poison Jab
Drapion offers an incredible amount of utility for an offensive mon. It can consistently pressure Bronzong enough to prevent early game rocks, Pursuit trap various problematic mons (particularly Sigilyph, Hoopa, and Meloetta), act as a primary switchin to Venusaur and offensive Tangrowth, and absorb Toxic Spikes. Drapion heavily capitalized on the popularity of Bronzong at the time of the team's inception, as Bronzong not only presented an exploitable Steel-type but also competed directly with Mega Steelix on most teams.
The sheer utility of a hard-hitting Knock Off helps greatly to wear down many teams and thus Drapion should typically be used early game. Not all teams are so threatened, of course, defensive Flygon being, although not really a threat to the team overall, a 100% switchin to the set and Mega Steelix serving as an ubiquitous and much more significant obstacle. Steelix is by no means unmanageable for the team, but it does force Drapion into a more secondary role rather than an early game beater.
Particularly hilarious displays of its unexpected power include its ability to always OHKO Mild Mega Abomasnow and SpD Bronzong (<= 252 HP / 68 Def). As such I generally led Drapion against Mega Abomasnow teams, though I of course would not do so against Abomasnow + Mega Steelix teams.
I prefer a bulky Drapion to best handle opposing Sigilyph and most early game offensive threats, with just a bit of Speed investment for neutral Hoopa (and by extension neutral Samurott and Exploud) – a faster spread is obviously an option.
Drapion leads against Accelgor builds as this team lacks hazard removal and Poison Jab has a 30% chance to prevent a second layer of Spikes, outright OHKOing Life Orb variants.
Virizion – Leftovers
Jolly | Justified
4 HP | 252 Atk | 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
Virizion is the most splashable offensive threat in the metagame. It offers an easy win condition, immediately threatens Water types, punishes Dark spam, punishes scarf Tyrantrum Head Smash, can revenge kill many threats due to its speed, and tends to be fairly easy to preserve throughout the game due to its Rock resistance and bulk. There are very few mons that can feel safe switching into Virizion prior to scouting its coverage and all of them are complete Sigilyph bait. Thus, though Virizion was added to the team as an afterthought to shore up the matchup against Waters, it has come through and become the most valuable team member in many matches.
I eschew the standard Lum Berry because I usually rely chiefly on Sigilyph as my Scald absorber from weak mons such as Alomomola, Gastrodon, and Knock Off Seismitoad, and because Drapion rather than Virizion is the team’s primary answer to Slowking and Jellicent. I can generally expect Virizion to stay in for several turns throughout the match to get value from Leftovers, and in particular I have found it to be useful against teams that rely on a Fairy for Virizion; Leftovers can push opposing Aromatisse’s Moonblast into a 3HKO, for instance. Note that I did not use Lum Berry in the previous metas either, even when I did not use Aromatherapy Aromatisse.
Stone Edge in the fourth moveslot is mostly useful for Sigilyph and for threatening Fletchinder, but Zen Headbutt and Synthesis are both viable options (Synthesis is generally considered unviable, but this team plays much more slowly than a typical Virizion team). Yache is another alternative item, allowing Virizion to sweep past Sneasel, Glalie, and Abomasnow.
Steelix – Steelixite
Adamant | Sturdy > Sand Force
236 HP | 96 Atk | 176 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Toxic
I have thought Mega Steelix to be the best overall Pokemon in the metagame for a while, and it doesn’t disappoint on this team as a consistent rocks setter and overall tank. Steelix offers value at every phase of the game -- in fact, I tend not to lead with Steelix, whereas most builds tend to use it as an early game beater and hazard setter. Don’t underestimate the value of preserving Steelix’s health until late game, even (which is hopefully not too far-fetched with Aromatisse support) – it can checkmate many physical attackers. In particular, it needed to have its health preserved against Durant.
I opt for a fast, offensive spread because CM Slowking and Drapion already insure the team against Psychics. This particular Steelix outspeeds all uninvested 50s and below, most Druddigon, max Speed Mega Camerupt and swathes of slow mons such as Togetic, Slowking, and virtually all Steelix -- the Steelix 1v1 in particular something I rest easy knowing I always win. Among calcs not listed on its on-site analysis, 96 Adamant does ensure the OHKO against 0/0 Drapion and in the past, Mild Mega Abomasnow (needing no prior damage on either).
For my personal playstyle, I have found that Toxic is almost assuredly the best choice in the fourth slot, with Steelix often drawing in bulky Waters and Hitmontop. I have found comparatively few applications for Roar, as I nearly always prefer to use a different move on predicted switches and simply do not deem Aromatisse / Nasty Plot Togetic to be big enough threats (though perhaps I may have used Roar during the Durant suspect test had I laddered for it, as from what I saw, SubPass Durant was becoming increasingly popular). That said, I encourage all users to feel free to experiment and see what works for them.
Threats
In order from most to least threatening:
Spikes Offense / Balance
Spikes Stall with Rest Steelix / Rest Spiritomb
Poison Jab Fighting type wallbreakers (Hitmonlee / Sawk / Gallade / Medicham)
Air Slash + Dark Pulse Sigilyph
note: Hydro Pump + Poison Jab Sharpedo would absolutely 6-0 this team in the past, but I never found a single one.
Spikes Offense / Balance
Spikes Stall with Rest Steelix / Rest Spiritomb
Poison Jab Fighting type wallbreakers (Hitmonlee / Sawk / Gallade / Medicham)
Air Slash + Dark Pulse Sigilyph
note: Hydro Pump + Poison Jab Sharpedo would absolutely 6-0 this team in the past, but I never found a single one.
bullying miltankmilk:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329326653
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329329085
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329352724
misc:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329661764
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329697255
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329745328
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329747610
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329713980
vs hilarious (pokemonisfun):
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329334651
bonus
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329384062
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329326653
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329329085
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329352724
misc:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329661764
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329697255
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329745328
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329747610
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329713980
vs hilarious (pokemonisfun):
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329334651
bonus
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rususpecttest-329384062
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